Ex-dpw Leader's Claims Probed

Feds Study Golf Trip, Grand Jury Testimony

In a continuing investigation into corruption in the administration of ex-Gov. John G. Rowland, federal authorities are looking into whether former state Public Works Commissioner Theodore Anson lied about taking gifts from state contractors, people familiar with the probe say.

Among other things, investigators are trying to determine whether Anson misled a federal grand jury about who paid for a 2000 golf outing he attended in Florida with construction company executive William Tomasso, a Tomasso employee and one of Anson's public works department subordinates.

At the time of the Florida trip, Tomasso was president of The Tomasso Group, a collection of construction-related companies that did millions of dollars of work for the state, much of it under contract with Anson's department. Tomasso and Anson were accompanied on the trip by P.J. Delahunty, then Anson's deputy, and Gary Gallucci, a former DPW official who worked at the time as a consultant for Tomasso.

Anson and others have said he told the federal grand jury in 2003 that he paid for his share of the golf trip. In an interview with The Courant last year, Anson said he produced receipts to support his claim.

But according to other sources, Anson's account may not have been complete.

The sources, including a former high-level Tomasso official, said that during and after the Florida trip, Anson complained about having to pay for his own way. The complaints eventually reached Tomasso, who instructed an aide to put cash, believed to be less than $1,000, in an envelope and to have Gallucci deliver the money to Anson.

The Tomasso aide later told federal authorities he gave the money to Gallucci, according to the sources. Gallucci reportedly told federal authorities that he delivered an envelope to Anson, but did not know what it contained, the sources said.

Allegations of wrongdoing at the state Department of Public Works during Anson's tenure are just one of the priorities for FBI and IRS investigators, who are in at least the fourth year of an investigation that forced Rowland from office and sent him to prison. Another priority is Robert Matthews, a wealthy longtime Rowland friend.

Matthews was one of the subjects federal prosecutors questioned Rowland about when they brought the ex-governor from his federal prison in Pennsylvania to testify in front of a grand jury in Hartford on Jan. 31. Rowland finished his term 10 days later.

In 1997, Matthews paid an inflated price for a condominium the former governor owned in Washington, D.C. Matthews and Rowland structured the condominium purchase in a fashion that seemed designed to hide Matthews' role as buyer: The two men arranged for antiques dealer Wayne Pratt to act as middleman. Pratt pleaded guilty to an income tax charge in connection with the transaction. He is cooperating with authorities.

The same year that Matthews bought the condominium, he obtained millions of dollars in state loans and loan guarantees.

Anson was appointed public works commissioner by Rowland, but was forced to resign in September 2003 after The Courant reported that he took free architectural drawings for a $190,000 addition to his Bridgewater home from Kaestle Boos Associates of New Britain. Kaestle Boos is an architectural firm that has become closely associated with Tomasso companies. The wide-ranging influence that Tomasso companies have at all levels of state government has emerged as a theme of the federal corruption investigation.

Kaestle Boos worked with Tomasso Brothers on several state projects that were awarded through Anson's department, including a $3.3 million contract to manage the construction of a juvenile correctional institution in Middletown. Tomasso and a former top Rowland aide, Peter N. Ellef, have admitted that Ellef rigged the bid in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in gifts from Tomasso.

Anson was still public works commissioner when he made his first grand jury appearance. The purpose of the appearance was to provide federal authorities with copies of all contracts his department had with Tunxis Management, the property management firm owned by the Tomasso family. Over a 10-year period starting in 1995, Tunxis went from being a company with virtually no state contracts to the state government's largest property manager, with more than $42 million in state contracts.

Anson appeared before the grand jury a second time after he was forced out of office.

On both occasions, sources said, Anson was not represented by a lawyer. Craig Raabe, Anson's lawyer now, did not return calls Friday.

Sources said federal investigators are now examining whether Anson was truthful when he was questioned about the Florida golf trip and other gifts he allegedly received from contractors. Those gifts include at least one ceiling fan and an electrical generator for his home from electrical contractor Kurt Claywell, now in federal prison on unrelated tax charges.

Investigators also are looking into Anson's regular golf outings at Tunxis Plantation, the Farmington golf course owned by the Tomassos. Anson has said he paid for his golf, but federal authorities have issued subpoenas to some course employees to determine if Anson played for free.